


Chapter 3: Subcon Forest

by Nerdpaw



Series: AHIT Amnesia AU Official [1]
Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: AHIT Amnesia AU, Aftermath of Torture, Amnesia, Darkness, Dysfunctional Family, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Found Family, Gen, Grues, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Isolation, florist is called fiona, hat kid is called sky, prince is called nils, snatcher moonjumper and the prince are all separate entities, vanessa isn't necessarily bad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23162638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdpaw/pseuds/Nerdpaw
Summary: Chapter 3 is an odd place to start in a story.---⚠️ON HIATUS AS OF JULY 30TH 2020⚠️---This AU has a blog I run!https://amnesiac-hatkid.tumblr.com/
Series: AHIT Amnesia AU Official [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665001
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Chapter 3: Subcon Forest

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to my friend Skoot for beta reading the rewrite!

Sky could hear Pops grumbling as he checked over the old train’s engine. He was taking her on a small ‘joyride’ when the train slowly came to a stop at the far end of the railroad. The few other birds that helped with running the train were also scattered about, checking the wheels and buttons and levers that helped the train go.

“ _ Pecking sand… _ ” She heard him grumble before he stood up straight and put his hands on his hips as he turned to look at his adopted daughter. “Sky, I'm afraid we might be stuck 'ere for just a bit.”

“Oh, okay…” Sky gave a small frown and glanced at the train before looking at the surroundings. This part of the desert wasn’t much of a desert, more of a prairie with patches of grass here and there, a few other plants that weren’t the common cactus or shrub scattered about, including a few trees. In the distance she could make out a forest and, if she was being honest, her prior disappointment became replaced with curiosity at the sight of it. “Pops, can I go to the trees over there?” She pointed to the more heavily wooded area.

The bird did his own equivalent of squinting, raising a hand over where his eyes  _ would _ be to peer at the dense trees. He knew that was Subcon over there, and all the tales about it. His crests fanned out lightly before he looked down at his curious little girl. “... Fine, but stay around de edge where I can see you, an’ come back when I call you.”

A wide smile appeared on the girl’s face and she hugged the old bird, getting a little pat on the back in response before she let go of him, still smiling. “I’ll be back soon!” She stood back and ran off towards the treeline, waving to him before concentrating on where she was stepping. She skipped over rocks and side stepped bushes until she found herself in long grass just before the trees started appearing. She paused her walk to lean forward and peer inside the shade.

It seemed… far too dark for just tree cover.

She frowned, looking back over her shoulder to the now distant train, barely spotting her dad talking to a few of the other birds. When she looked back in front of her, she could’ve sworn she saw  _ something _ glowing in there. She gave a curious ‘Hm?’ and stepped closer to the woods, stepping into the treeline just moments later before getting into the woods proper. No wonder it was so dark, there was so much of this dark misty stuff around! Luckily she could see over it, but it smelled rank at best.

She frowned and tried to hold her breath, hoping she’d find someplace less… smelly. She only managed that for a few seconds before she gasped and sputtered out for breath, sent into a dizzy spell from the brief lack of air, the fog overwhelming her senses a moment. She closed her eyes as she caught her breath and steadied herself, and as soon as she opened them she grew confused. When did she get this deep into the forest?

She looked around, unable to even spot or remember which direction she came from. How did she already get lost? She had only walked a few minutes tops. She frowned as she stepped forward, growing even more wary of her surroundings. She couldn’t possibly be lost, she definitely came from this direction. But every step she took brought her through unfamiliar twists and turns, until she became aware of a sudden chill breaking through the trees. She noticed the woods had begun thinning out, and the fog had dispersed. Her head felt clearer, but her legs were so tired… She looked up at the now visible sky to see sunset was approaching. That would explain why it was so cold out here…

She glanced down at her feet, sighing softly and trying to figure out how she was going to make it back to Pops. No doubt he’d be worried and go looking for her. She let out a frustrated growl, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her fists, her nails digging into the skin before tears welled in her eyes. She was tired and wanted to go back to the train. She wanted to get out of the smelly dark forest and get back to her dads.

She kicked the ground hard, startling herself with the scattering of slightly dirtied snow. She stared at it with mild confusion, her frustration abandoned in favor of investigating. She tilted her head, lightly tapping her hat. “Miss Hat, what’s this stuff?”

At the inquiry, the hat slowly rose up from her head, suspending itself with three robotic arms that gently held onto her head. A fourth arm snaked out and its claw-like hand shifted out and morphed into a magnifying device. A few beeps and lights were shown before the hand retracted, followed shortly by the other three, making the hat plop back down onto Sky’s head.

“This material is a combination of two previously unknown but related materials, known as  **snow** and  **slush** .  **Snow** is precipitation in the form of small ice crystals formed directly from the water vapor of the air at a temperature of less than 32°F or 0°C.  **Slush** is partly melted or watery snow.” A crackly voice sounded from the hat, and Sky smiled and gave it an appreciative pat.

“Thank you, Miss Hat! Remind me to ask Dad ‘n Pops to see if we can fix up your voice somehow!” She was given a small whirring noise followed by a click of confirmation, letting her know that the reminder was set. Sky knelt down to lift up some of the cleaner snow, not wanting mud and leaves on her hands or dress. She flinched at the initial cold of it and hated the wetness it left as it melted in her hands. She shook her hands and flicked the remaining slush to the ground before wiping her hands down her dress in an effort to dry them off, creating wet stains on the fabric that almost soaked through her undershirt.

“Why does it have to be cold..?” She had grown used to the desert heat, and this forest was a stark contrast to the sands and sun. She tilted her head up to look at the sky, the fact that it was dusk sinking in like a rock she’d chuck into the ocean with Mew. She was so far away from the desert… The mountains that were once distant in the background were close by, the trees and greenery thinning out, being replaced with rocks and snow. Up higher in the mountains she could make out a ring of lights, and as she turned her gaze more she realized that there were a few of those places scattered about on the cliff sides and in the meadows. Maybe it was people?

She picked up her feet, her quick steps soon slowing to a trudge as the snow grew deeper. She was getting so tired that she couldn’t even make out where the lights once were, getting turned around somehow as it grew dark. Where even was she anymore? She did a small spin to look at her surroundings, her tiredness making her dizzy and almost making her fall over. The forest wasn’t too far away yet, it may be a good idea to go back there… She lifted her dress slightly to keep it from possibly dragging in the snow and getting soaked. She took only a few steps before she realized she could hear something in the otherwise quiet snowscape. She gripped her dress tighter, suddenly feeling much more awake.

She did a slow 360, careful not to make herself dizzy. At first she couldn't spot anything, but then she realized there was a large bush she didn't remember being in the area. She stared at it for a very long moment, backing away slowly towards the forest. She saw bright yellow lights suddenly flicker on from within the bush, and with a start she realized those were  _ eyes _ and that she needed to  _ run _ . The bush rose up slowly, and she heard a low rumble that broke into a growl as she turned away and started to run to the forest, hoping that it was too big to fit between the trees. She could hear the branches of the bush rustling a moment before heavy footfalls and the crunching of snow picked up; it was chasing her now, and it was  _ fast _ .

Sky had barely gotten a few meters away when she found herself lifted into the air, and a pressure made itself known in the front of her throat. She lurched forward before hanging, scrabbling at her cape as the string dug in. The thing holding her growled and huffed, and she could feel its hot breath blow against her head. She kicked and tried to shout, begging to be dropped or for someone to save her. And as if in response, she found herself falling down and capable of breathing.

She curled into the snow, wheezing and sputtering as she brushed her hands over her throat. She knew her cape got ripped; she heard the tearing. She sat up a little, and, not feeling Miss Hat on her head, looked around. She looked up at the thing that had grabbed her and saw the robotic hat clinging to its face and using its metallic claws to scratch and pinch at the creature’s face, illicating growls and hisses. Sky quickly scrambled to her feet, backing away slowly.

“Miss Hat! Stop!! We need to go!!” The hat gave one last harsh squeeze to the beast’s face before launching at Sky and latching back onto her head. The child turned and ran while the creature rubbed its face with its paw. The girl and her hat made it to the line of trees, but she didn’t stop running after hearing an angered — possibly even annoyed — roar. She ran as deep into the forest she could, far enough that it was dark enough for not even moonlight to slip through the branches and fog. Sky squeezed her eyes shut as her run gradually slowed to a walk, her speed downgraded to a crawl before she stopped moving completely. Tears streamed down her face as she crouched down and promptly fell over, curling in on herself.

She hardly noticed the change in the air, or the fact that she landed on soft grass rather than the roots of a tree. The stars were out above her, the moon rising over the trees. Some distance ahead of her rose a tower, so tall it reached into the clouds that wisped around the sky. But she didn’t notice, her sight warped by tears and fear. She only looked up when she felt Miss Hat gently brush metallic fingers through her loose hair, a gentle whir sounding before a lullaby Pops would hum played. While it was recognizably a recording — there was plenty of quiet static and white noise — it did wonders to sooth the young girl. She looked up at the sky, staring at the stars with slowly drooping eyes as the weight of sleep crept onto her. Today had been exhausting and borderline traumatizing for her. She rubbed her remaining tears away before closing her eyes for good that night, too tired to attempt investigating the tower. She’d do that in the morning and try to get her bearings with Miss Hat…

The recording had since ended, giving way to quiet crickets and frogs hidden under roots. From within the tower, a man stared down, frown on his face as his eyes flashed red briefly. Slowly and carefully, red strings weaved through the air from the window at which he stood. They inched towards the girl, carefully intertwining and scooping up the child and her hat. The man looked on as he commanded the strings to bring her inside and into the old abandoned cot on the very same floor. His good eye flickered to the forest below, briefly catching sight of glowing golden teeth and eyes before they vanished, and his gaze darkened.

“ _ I’ll have to put an end to that some time soon. _ ”


End file.
